A new handout has been prepared, February 2026, with information describing Christian Nationalism and contact information for the Minnesota group.
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Organized by ISAIAH and I think members of this group will appreciate the multi-faith response and the messages that included how to respond with love.
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One of the areas of interest CACN-Minnesota works on is preserving the separation of church and state. A recent article may be of interest to our members, “The Fundamental Freedom of Worship” is an article posted in a new series, Democracy is a Verb, by the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The new series is described as, “will explore core American values, the institutions that power our democracy, profiles of exceptional public servants, and reflect on how our democracy is showcased on your screens through pop culture.”
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On Saturday, December 13, four members of the CACN-MN Steering Committee attended The Light in the Storm meeting organized by ISAIAH and Faith In Minnesota. During the session, one of the co-leaders of ISAIAH emphasized that “cruelty is the strategy.” “The cruelty is not an accident. It is the strategy,” she said. “It is meant to make us afraid. It is meant to keep us divided and distracted.” Womens Press has written an article summarizing some of the presentations made. You can read the article here – https://www.womenspress.com/faith-leaders-bolster-the-coming-work-to-an-audience-of-5000/
In our January newsletter we will have more information on ISAIAH and what their plans are for 2026-27. There are two documents from the December 13 meeting that provide more information: The People’s Agenda: Dignity and Affordability for All and A Light in the Storm Compass. We will have more information coming in January and how members can get involved.
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Bill McKibben, founder of The Third Act, wrote an excellent article in the Guardian – They’re Doing to America what they did to Christianity.
“We have watched over the years as rightwing evangelical churches turned the Jesus we grew up with into exactly the opposite of who we understood him to be. At its most basic, they turned a figure of love into a figure of hate who blesses precisely the cruelties that he condemned in the Gospel; we went from “the meek shall inherit the Earth” to “the meek shall die of cholera.” This has happened more slowly, over decades instead of months, but it is nonetheless unsettling in the same ways, a disorienting gut punch for many of us.”
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A big thank you to the members who joined us a for a Zoom call and break out sessions last night to help the steering committee plan our goals for 2026. The conversations in the break out rooms were great. Thank you so much for giving us your time and thoughtful responses. A report will eventually be prepared and shared.
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An article appearing in 19th News outlining their program about bible study during school time is worth reading. “Founded in 2018, LifeWise is the most visible group behind a movement to spread off-campus religious instruction during the school day. Since 2024, the nonprofit has successfully lobbied for legislation in Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas mandating that districts allow students to attend LifeWise or similar programs. Some say the requirements violate the separation of church and state. “
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Dr. Matthew Taylor and the Reverend Susan Hayward have a podcast series, American Unexceptionalsm: Religious nationalism is global–so is the resistance.
You can find more information on their podcasts here.
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Readers who are seeking ways to get involved with advocacy efforts may be interested in an initiative that was shared last night at the event with Matthew Taylor and Angela Denker. Representatives from Isaiah shared information their Light in the Storm initiative. The launch of this project will take place on Saturday, December 13 from 12-6 p.m. at the Minneapolis Convention Center. A joint project with Faith in Minnesota, the plan is to address rising authoritarianism and their goal, “[t]ogether we are going to make Minnesota a place where families across race, place, and religion can thrive.” [from their flyer]. Register here.
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You can find school board election results here https://www.fox9.com/election/mn-election-2025-school-board
One of our most closely followed elections was Anoka Hennepin and the results there were mixed. However, check your school board results. Thank you to everyone who voted!